Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Eight Non-Negotiable Expectations for All Educators

During Sunday's (December 8) #iaedchat on What Matters Most in Successful Schools, moderator Jimmy Casas asked, "Should schools establish certain "non-negotiables" in terms of expectations for all staff? If so, what examples"

After the establishment of a vision statement, I can't think of anything more important to the success of a school than establishing clear expectations. Successful leaders make their expectations clear. Within their organization everyone understands the "non-negotiables."

Like all great twitter conversations, this one inspired reflection and projection, "What are my non-negotiables?"

1. Believe in every student.

2. Be positive and optimistic.

3. Be caring. Show compassion and generosity.

4. Don't accept or make excuses. Do whatever it takes.
Attitude is just as important as aptitude. 5. Establish and maintain high expectations for you and your students. "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim so high that we miss it, but in setting our aim so low that we reach it." ~Michelangelo

Do the following excite you? Getting the newest edition of Educational Leadership, reading a great blog, attending an educational conference or tweeting all night. If not, they should. Teaching requires continuous growth. Improvement cannot occur in isolation; true growth only happens when one challenges oneself.

A good educator continues to be a student. Whether it's learning from a book, a blog, or peers, never stop learning.

7. Be a team player. Nothing is done in isolation.
As Vince Lombardi said, "Individual commitment to a group effort. That's what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."

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About Me

I'm an associate principal at Monticello High School in Charlottesville, Virginia. Before moving to Charlottesville, I was an assistant principal at Kettle Run
High School in Nokesville, VA and before that I
taught world history, freshman seminar, individual reading and academic
coaching at Fauquier High School. I also coached girls basketball and
boys lacrosse while at FHS. Additionally, I taught and coached for 6
years at Rappahannock County High School. I also spent 1 year at Cedars
Academy in Bridgeville, Delaware.

I'm a co-moderator of #vachat, a weekly Twitter conversation for
Virginia (and non-Viriginians too) educators. We chat every Monday at 8
ET.

Most importantly, I'm a father and grandfather I have 4
wonderful children and a couple of grandchildren. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities, cooking,
reading, sports, and, of course, spending time with family.